Umno Petaling Jaya Utara division deputy head Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad, who made the suggestion, said this was because Chinese schools were being used by the opposition to breed racial and anti-government sentiments.

He was also quoted as saying that the upcoming November assembly was the best platform to discuss the issue.

"This is very important because nowhere else in the world is there a dual-stream education system."The primary and secondary systems must be under one umbrella," he said, according to the Malay-language weekender.

The report said this was not the first time the suggestion was made, adding that various parties had made the call in the name of unity of the nation.

It added that in August, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Razali Ibrahim had also called for the government to stop building Chinese vernacular schools as it was not contributing to national harmony.

Azli was also quoted as saying that the Petaling Jaya Utara branch also wanted all SJKC schools to be placed under the full control of the Education Ministry.

"We want to be rid of racism that is often being politicised by those who have a very shallow understanding of politics," he said, according to the report.